Left coop door open and dog killed some birds

[Nebraska]

I was in a big hurry yesterday and must not have shut the door properly on my coop because my wife called and said that the dog(s) had got in and killed four birds. At the time I had most of my birds flying but there was a hen on her eggs and 3 juvenile birds in the coop.

I have two GSPs, an 11yo that I never trained because she was VERY sensitive to noise and my 17mo old GSP that I'm working with now. I'm 90% sure that my old dog was the one that got in and killed the birds because all she does is fixate on the coop, 24/7 and has actually torn the wire off the bottom of the aviary once and killed a couple birds.

I'm crossing my fingers this doesn't effect my younger GSP and I don't believe it has.

I'm 1/2 way considering "de-cooping" my old GSP with the collar so she just stays the heck away. My other plan was to add invisible fencing to that part of my backyard but I really don't want to risk my young GSP associating anything negative with the coop/pigeons.

What would you do???

[mountaindogs]

Move the coop to a location the dogs don't see and can't get to? I am no expert but no way would I use the collar for that on any dog you wanted to hunt birds. Frankly it kinda seems like using the collar on me for dark chocolate... but I guess it's not the same, because I don't rip it off the shelves even though I want to.

[MB]

Even though your older dog isn't a hunter. It is a GSP! Born to love birds! The only fair thing to do is move the coop or fence it off or something.

[ACooper]

Move it or fence it, do not use invisible fence to keep a dog you plan on hunting away from the birds.

[EPointer=Birdss]

Capture.JPG

Capture.JPG

Dunno why the first image loaded twice!
Works for me so far....

[Rick Hall]

Just put a heavy spring on the loft door and move on. Even if it was your young dog, nothing's happened training can't conpensate for.

[Nebraska]

Thanks guys. I'll either fence it off or put a spring on the door to idiot-proof it!!

Rick - I think/hope you're right about training compensating for anything that's happened. I'm still learning and it looks like I have yet another lesson chalked up to experience......

BTW - EPointer, that's not a coop, it's a bird COMPOUND!!! Very nice.....

[Sharon]

Just put a heavy spring on the loft door and move on. Even if it was your young dog, nothing's happened training can't conpensate for.

That is quite the set-up. Terrific. I work at the jail here and we are always overloaded. That set-up could house a few I'm sure!

[EPointer=Birdss]

BTW - EPointer, that's not a coop, it's a bird COMPOUND!!! Very nice.....

HaHA tried to make it fox proof. the outside fence works a treat to keep dogs from spookin the birds. its for my laying pheasants so we don't want that....
BTW sharon any extra prisoners send em my way

[vern3]

EPointers, just curious what the main frame is made out of on that pen?

[fuzznut]

I just bought plans to make a coop just like yours! Is there anything with yours you would do different? I plan to keep quail and some chuckar in it. Maybe a couple of pigeons.
Fuzz

[EPointer=Birdss]

EPointers, just curious what the main frame is made out of on that pen?

The frame is out of flexible plastic pipes. They are used for holding eletrical cable.
They slot snuggly over scaffold bars cut & buried 2 feet in the ground.
They form the "ribs"
The "spine" is a 2X2 that runs the length of the pen to help strengthen the ribs.(with one either side also for support)
Vertical sign posts are dropped for further support.

As regards changes Fuzz;
If I was to do anything differently I would of used smaller gauge mesh. Sparrows, starlings & even a stray budgie spend their days eating the pheasants food.
Also I am moving them to another pen soon & planting some tough plants & grass. Not too much though as it makes finding eggs too difficult.

I didn't bury the outside mesh but I did the mesh on the pen itself.
I would of used all plastic or metal for longer lasting but I was working on a budget so used what I had or could get cheaply.
A door at the other side would be useful to have 2 species with a divider in the middle it but thats not a big thing to do later.
For your species you might want more shelter, nest boxes etc

Other than thats it's perfect haha Only kidding. Tailor to suit you needs I wreckon.

[Rick Hall]

Bury your tin predator guard with the underground portion bent to angle out. Varmits will dig a long way straight down to get under such an obstacle but won't back up to to so. Might also want to install crosswise barriers inside the pen that are short enough for you to step over but tall enough that your birds must exercise themselves by flying over them to get to feed or water kept at opposite ends of the pen.